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Monthly Archives: July 2017

Recently, a friend looking for work wanted me to review his resume. He also asked, ” And what should I include in my cover letter?” Given I’d just finished hiring for two positions and had the luxury of reviewing a boatload of resumes and cover letters, I had a ready answer. I’ve distilled that advice here into five handy tips. I hope you will find them useful, whether in a job search or to score points if you’re looking at me as the hiring manager.

Tip #1 – Actually Write a Cover Letter

I know, seems self-evident. But you’d be surprised how many applicants do not submit a cover letter with their Curriculum Vitae. When I asked our senior talent manager why this was, he told me that it’s become the trend. I told him that’s like sending in the outline of a novel without the dialogue. He told me that it’s a “Millennial Thing.” I told him that Millennials aren’t the ones doing most of the hiring, that it’s the folks like me with twenty years of business who are, and that we like cover letters.

Over coffee, we agreed that he would strongly recommend applicants submit cover letters for jobs I needed filled. My process (and I know many others who agree) is to de-prioritize candidates who do not take the time to write a personal note about WHY he or she wants the job. Omitting a cover letter is a missed opportunity, the equivalent of saying, “Yeah, I’m not really that interested. I’ll just throw my resume at you and expect you to grok me.” Or not.

#2 – Make the Cover Letter Your Personal Story

Since I’m in marketing, I think of a cover letter as the opportunity for you to sell me on you. We’re all storytellers. How good are you? I want to hire the best.

The resume isn’t your story. It’s a litany of facts with no overt motivation. Sure, certain skills and time spent in specific roles will be table stakes for an interview. You can’t change that. But you can impress me by telling me why you’re better than the others and summarize what you’re passionate about doing. It’s your elevator pitch. Use memorable language, make me wonder or even make me laugh. Engage my interest and come across as a person worthy of an interview. The best ever resume will still not make a personal connection.

#3 – Address the Major Requirements

The best recent cover letters I’ve reviewed are those that aim right at the heart of the matter. The candidate selects the top three or four job requirements and explains how his or her experience matches each one. I’ve seen this done in a two-column table format (easy on the eyes) or in a bulleted list (takes up less space). I like this for two reasons:

It short cuts my need to make these connections from the resume. You’ve just saved me time!

It clearly shows that you are savvy to business, that you understand the priorities of the role and why you’re a great fit.

#4 – Show Me You’ve Done Your Research

Do you have any clue what my company does? Why what we sell matters to our customers? What is our long-term strategy? What is our messaging to the public?

It’s natural to do your research prior to an interview, but I would urge you to do a little sniffing out prior to submitting for a role. Then mention your fact finding (“It’s exciting to see how many acquisitions your company has made in the previous year…”) and let the hiring manager see your initiative right off.

#5 – Keep It Brief

I personally like to see no more that three or four paragraphs in a cover letter. Don’t tell me your entire story, don’t copy verbatim from your resume (I’ll read it next), and don’t waste my time with formalities (“I saw your posting on the Monster job board, and I wish to apply for the role, which is a perfect fit for my skills and past job experience based on the requirements for the position.”). I recommend writing out your cover letter and then cutting it in half (or by a third at least). Be pithy and direct.

BONUS TIP – Be Yourself

One of my recent hires sent me a PDF cover letter introduction that included images (see #5 above), addressed the major requirements (see #3 above), and added a little humor (see #2 above). I’m not saying do exactly this, but I will admit his creativity was clever, he played to his strengths, and caught my attention. The document immediately let me know who he was, that he was serious about the application and that he merited equally serious consideration. That’s a riveting cover letter.